High School Basketball Coaching Jobs

Thousands of kids play basketball from the time they are little boys or girls, on the playgrounds of their school, in their back yard or with friends at a local park. As they grow up, the better players move up and start to play in more competitive leagues and luckily for those who want to become a coach at the prep level, there are thousands of coaching jobs out there available for those who are willing to put in the time and energy to get there.

First off, most basketball coaches have played the game at some point in their life, but many more than you would think just love the game of basketball and love to work with young people.

The second thing to think about when you are considering becoming a prep basketball coach is that there are two different types of coaches. Beside needed at least two or three assistants on every staff, coaches can coach at the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) or at the high school level.

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Most coaches at the high school level are teachers at the school they coach for and they are able to supplement their teacher’s salary. Most assistant coaches make anywhere from $2,500 up to $7,000 depending on how well-funded the school district and the program are by the booster clubs affiliated with the different schools. Related: Teaching Job

Some start off by volunteering their time, learning how to coach the game at a lower-level, usually the freshman or junior varsity level and then work their way up the coaching ladder from there.

Head coaches can make up to $70,000 at the top public schools, but some make as little as $10,000. Even though they aren’t paid as a full-time employee, most coaches are expected to spend time breaking down film and forming game plans, creating offseason workout programs for their players, run camps, meet with college and AAU coaches, make sure their players are staying academically eligible, deal with parents, coordinate travel for their players, book hotel rooms or make different housing arrangements, organize buses or other modes of transportation to get to different tournaments and generally lead the team in all phases.

At the AAU level, coaches have different ways of earning money, from shoe and apparel contracts as well as the booster clubs that fund the program.

Most major cities have at least two or three AAU programs and some have as many as 10. A lot depends on the population base as well as the interest level from players in playing in that type of an atmosphere.

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Most AAU teams travel throughout the year to tournaments across the country and the top players from those programs are heavily recruited, so the head coaches, as well as the assistants, needs to be able to talk with college coaches, be aware of the different tournaments where their players can showcase their talents, teach them different skills in order to improve their game, run camps, meet with college coaches, deal with parents, coordinate travel for their players, book hotel rooms or make different housing arrangements, organize buses or other modes of transportation to get to different tournaments and generally be the face and leader of the AAU team.

In addition to all of the other tasks, AAU coaches also must recruit players to come play for them, showing kids and parents why it is best to play for them as opposed to some of the other teams in their area.

It can definitely be a “dog-eat-dog” world out there in the AAU market, but because they have access to some of the top talent in their region as well as outstanding gear and uniforms, these coaches might not have some of the other challenges a high school coach, who is unable to recruit to his school, might have to deal with on a regular basis.

The time commitment while managing teams during the season can be pretty heavy, with some coaches running practices five nights a week and traveling to at least two games per week, if not more. Also, during the offseason, with camps and combines that players must attend, coaches generally head to those as well to pump up their players and network with other coaches, both college and prep, who they can share different experiences with and possibly make connections that will allow them to move up the ranks of the coaching fraternity as well.

Working with the players and dealing with their families can be one of the hardest tasks for a coach, but it can also be the most rewarding as many kids come from tough family situations that and coaches have a chance to be another parent, or the only one, that a youngster, boy or girl, ends up counting on.

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Quick Facts About Coaching High School Basketball

Job Title: High School or AAU Basketball Coach
Office: Basketball gyms and schools across the country
Description: Coach an entire team or a different aspect (offense or defense) of the team
Certifications/Education: No educational background is required, but it is helpful to have at least a high school diploma or GED
Necessary Skills: Communication/People skills, Competitive nature, drive to be successful, knowledge of the game of basketball
Potential Employers: Thousands of high schools or AAU programs across the United States
Pay: Range is anywhere from $2,500 for a beginning assistant coach in high school up to $75,000 or more for top head coaches at the top programs

Helpful links:
Amateur Athletic Union
WBCA
NABC
National High School Coaches Association

State coaches associations:

Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Southern California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinos
Indiana
Iowa Boys
Iowa Girls
Kansas
Kansas (More)
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota Boys
Minnesota Girls
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming